Our Hawaii Quickie

Alright, let’s talk about Hawaii!

Yet another wedding 😂—but this time in… Oahu, Hawaii! We love a good wedding, so we’re always up to using one as an “excuse" to visit a new place and have a few new experiences. In today’s post, I’m going to try and chronicle our wonderful time in Hawaii by the different locations we visited. We were really only there for one full day, so this should be short and sweet.  

Quick Pit Stop: Tacos at LAX

Real quick: We actually had a quick layover in LAX and grabbed tacos from a highly-rated restaurant called La Fonda that we found online with over 1,100 reviews. The tacos were simple, fresh, and—oh yeah—delicious.  

Okay, I’m done—ahem—on to Hawaii! 😄

First Impressions: Literal Paradise

I just have to take a moment to really get present to how beautiful this island is.  

Hawaii is literally just as beautiful as every picture I have ever seen taken there.  

The mountains are perfectly crafted backdrops to lush greenery—everywhere you look.  

The air was crisp, fresh, and clean. No humidity.  

The sky and ocean were the perfect shades of blue.  

It was breathtaking.  

Also, my skin was clear and looked more even—could’ve been me, lol, but listen, I have the pictures to confirm! 📸  

Okay, let me get on with it…I could sit here all day describing this gorgeous ass island 😅.

Four Seasons Oahu at Ko Olina

The first place on our list was the Four Seasons Resort Oahu at Ko’Olina.  

We didn’t stay there as guests—this time—but we did visit the property and the lagoon that sits right in front of the hotel. It was so beautiful. Absolutely picturesque.  

We walked the property, took pictures, and Ty gave me a mini photoshoot 🥰.  

The wedding was held there the next day, and it was absolutely perfect.  

It was an outdoor wedding, and the weather couldn’t have been any more beautiful.

Island Drive & Pearl Harbor Visit

Next, we drove around the entire island, which took us about two hours. We rode through majestic, lush mountains and looked down over thousands below us.  

(Please watch the “short” we made—it’ll give you a better idea of what I’m describing if you don’t already know.)

On our way around the island, we stopped and visited Pearl Harbor.  

This was super educational, and I loved every bit of it. There were informational plaques everywhere describing ships and first- and second-hand accounts of what happened that day. I learned a lot and was really happy to be there and experience it—especially being former military.  

They also had tours of surviving ships. We didn’t go on any... Ty and I actually weren’t really talking when we visited (lol real life). Hindsight, of course, I wish we had gone on at least one—but there’s always next time.

The Byodo-In Temple: Calm in the Chaos

As we made our way further around the island, we stopped by the Byodo-In (sacred bell) Temple, located at the foot of the Ko'olau Mountains.

All I can say is—humbled.  

This was such a beautiful break from the "outside" world. It was calm and quiet, with a thick layer of respect in the air. People were meditating, praying, and just sitting in silence, appreciating the immaculate grounds.

There was also a bell you could ring there—the bon-sho, a giant brass bell meant to bring calm, peace, and cleanse the mind of evil and temptation. There were tens of people lined up to ring it. Had I done my research beforehand, I would have DEFINITELY rang that bell, okay?! 😂  

It's actually customary to ring the bell before you enter the temple. Sigh. We didn’t know!

No Need for a Luau (Kind Of)

We had originally tried to book a reservation for a luau but decided against it since the wedding reception had one—and of course, it was amazing!  

Super interactive, funny at different moments, and just a beautiful experience overall.

Real Talk: Hawaii Is Faaaaaaaar

All in all, we had a really nice time and got to see some beautiful sights. It was a very quick trip—we arrived Friday and left Sunday.

I was so mad when I found out the flight was 10 hours. I would’ve better mentally prepared myself if I had known. Y’all, I don’t think people realize just how far off the mainland Hawaii actually is! 😂 I was blown away by my ignorance!.  

One thing you’ll learn about me is—I do not like flying. I feel uncomfortable, scared, and I’m always lowkey hoping I don’t die (being real lol).  All of that to say—it was a LOT of flying in a 3-day span. Like, A LOT.

Thankfully, Ty is calm as a cucumber on flights, which always helps.

Final Thoughts

But we got there and back safely—and honestly, we’d do it all over again if we needed to.  

Hawaii was good to us (and my skin!).  

Until next time... aloha 🌸